So saying, the baronet mounted the stairs, and made his way to his chamber.  He was in excellent spirits, and in high good-humor with himself:  the object of his visit to Gray Forest had been, as he now flattered himself, attained.  He had conducted an affair requiring the profoundest mystery in its prosecution, and the nicest tactic in its management, almost to a triumphant issue.  He had perfectly masked his design, and completely outwitted Marston; and to a person who piqued himself upon his clever diplomacy, and vaunted that he had never yet sustained a defeat in any object which he had seriously proposed to himself, such a combination of successes was for the moment quite intoxicating.

Sir Wynston not only enjoyed his own superiority with all the vanity of a selfish nature, but he no less enjoyed, with a keen and malicious relish, the intense mortification which, he was well assured, Marston must experience; and all the more acutely, because of the utter impossibility, circumstanced as he was, of his taking any steps to manifest his vexation, without compromising himself in a most unpleasant way.

Animated by these amiable feelings, Sir Wynston Berkley sate down, and wrote the following short letter, addressed to Mrs. Gray, Wynston Hall:—­

“Mrs. Gray,

“On receipt of this have the sitting rooms and several bedrooms put in order, and thoroughly aired.  Prepare for my use the suite of three rooms over the library and drawing room; and have the two great wardrobes, and the cabinet in the state bedroom, removed into the large dressing room which opens upon the bedroom I have named.  Make everything as comfortable as possible.  If anything is wanted in the way of furniture, drapery, ornament, &c., you need only write to John Skelton, Esq., Spring-garden, London, stating what is required, and he will order and send them down.  You must be expeditious, as I shall probably go down to Wynston, with two or three friends, at the beginning of next month.

“Wynston Berkley

“P.S.—­I have written to direct Arkins and two or three of the other servants to go down at once.  Set them all to work immediately.”

He then applied himself to another letter of considerably greater length, and from which, therefore, we shall only offer a few extracts.  It was addressed to John Skelton, Esq., and began as follows.—­

“My Dear Skelton,

“You are, doubtless, surprised at my long silence, but I have had nothing very particular to say.  My visit to this dull and uncomfortable place was (as you rightly surmise) not without its object—­a little bit of wicked romance; the pretty demoiselle of Rouen, whom I mentioned to you more than once—­la belle de Barras—­was, in truth, the attraction that drew me hither; and I think (for, as yet, she affects hesitation), I shall have no further trouble with her.  She is a fine creature, and you will admit, when you have seen her, well worth taking some